little brother, little sister
by bubblegum shaved ice
Summary: In retrospect, they realize. The road to being a good older sibling has never been easy.


**little brother, little sister**

When Sasuke was born, Itachi was concerned.

He had heard from a girl at the academy (Hana, he recalls) tell her friends that her baby brother demanded attention from her parents and refused to leave the family members alone, crying every other moment - particularly in the middle of balmy nights.

Fugaku and Mikoto are both not fond of loud noises, and neither was he. Sasuke is lucky as he seems to have inherited that same preference, because Itachi remembers faintly of being punished when he is very young.

Their parents are not people who have time to spare either. His mother tries, he knows, but she is a reserved person who treasures the traditionalist values his father upholds. Itachi does not remember the last time his family has eaten dinner at the table together and he fears that Sasuke will grow up like him.

Unloved, uncared for, and broken.

Itachi knows that his priorities shifted the night his parents left them alone at home. Feeling the curl of his brother's small finger wrap along the line of his thumb, the unconditional trust overflowing and the innocent love warming. He knew that he would try to be the older brother Sasuke needed.

So he tries to take care of Sasuke in the ways he was never cared for.

He played with him when he was bored and told him stories to lull him to sleep. He cooked and fed him tomato soup while their mother cried in her room. And he trained his targeting, and taught him how to defend himself when their father went on missions.

He became his brother, parent, and teacher all at once.

With Sasuke, Itachi took the role of a protector. And he vowed that no harm would come his younger brother's way.

Sasuke became the salvation that grounded him, and saviour that gave his empty shell will to live once again. A cause for him to continue.

* * *

When his little sister was born, Boruto was excited.

Himawari was the prettiest name he had ever heard as a young child. And he thought that, for a girl, his younger sister is very pretty, almost as beautiful as his mother. She was kind of pudgy and very swollen-looking when he first saw her, but her smile was like a sunflower. Like her name.

He is excited to have a new playmate. Someone to look after and act out the role of big brother for.

But Boruto is also scared. Their father barely had enough for time as it was. Did having a younger sister mean the scarce amount of time he had would be cut in half? How would he have enough time for the two of them?

The fear never stayed long when Himawari started to be able to crawl. Slowly, walk. Then run. They are so close in age that they are able to play with the same group of friends at the academy and she is already in her second year when he is sorted into his genin team.

He calls her Hima so the boys in his class do the same, because his little sister's name is too pretty for them to say. And he tells her she looks better with short hair when she says that she wants to grow her hair out like okaa-san, so that she doesn't become _too_ pretty.

But his little sister also has moments when she is not as pretty as she should be. Every morning their father left before dawn, every afternoon he had failed to come pick them up from the academy and every night their father has missed a meal. These moments were the same as his. Except, he got angry.

Boruto decided that if his father did not have the time for Himawari, he would take up the time left blank instead. He would grow up quickly. Train and become powerful.

Boruto would be the man in her life she could count on if the bullies cornered her as they did for him. The one she could cry to if she had a scary dream, and the one who made her smile on days their parents worked. He would be a man she could proudly call her guardian and older brother until someone else he trusted came along.

* * *

When her younger brother is born, Sarada is grateful. After years of trying since their father's return, the Uchiha clan finally had a male heir to continue their name.

They are far apart in age, she thinks. But according to her father, he feels that Itachi and him had been the same.

' _It must be fate'_ is what she replied.

The child is small, but his grip is strong when he tugs at the back of their papa's shirt, and she knows he will become a formidable ninja like her when he is older.

They look alike too. Jet black hair, ivory skin and sharp eyes. He has the same bunch in between his brows, the same cupid's bow lining thin lips and the same egg-shaped dimple on his left cheek. Everything is the same apart from one little detail.

Her younger brother is born with the sharingan staining his eyes and the fire of the Uchiha burning much deeper in him than it ever ignited for her.

She is close to her goal of becoming a Hokage, now more than ever. And Sarada knows that soon she would have been forced to choose between her continuing duties as the clan heiress or as the Hokage's apprentice. Her father understands, but the tradition of all Konohagakure clans stand firm. She could not have been both.

But when he is born, the role falls to him instead and the burden is taken off her. When her younger brother is born, Sarada cries tears of joy and sadness. Because she only knows too well what judgement he will face as he grows up, and the weight that had promptly fallen onto his shoulders. The legacy is a both a blessing and a curse. Even more so for him.

His birth may have saved her dream, but the cost will be that the outcome of his dreams were decided at the same moment.

So to the baby in her arms, Sarada selfishly prays that he will want the legend left for him, and she promises herself that she won't let the prejudices that haunts their family continue with him.

She vows that she will work relentlessly towards the day that he can live in an era different to that of their father and Itachi under her ruling and that she will make sure he finds happiness and to protect him if he does not want the role he will inherit as her little brother.

* * *

 **note.**

A small Christmas present! OC at the back (sorry T^T I couldn't help it... *covers face*)

On another note. Sorry for the lack of updates; I'm currently on my holiday, spending some rare time my family back in HK since I go to university in the UKs. I literally typed this all on my phone while I was on the plane.


End file.
